The Champaign Central Maroons will take on the Richwoods Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Champaign Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.4 runs per game this season.
Champaign Central will bounce into Tuesday's game after beating Effingham, who they had gone 0-5 against in their five prior meetings. The Maroons put the hurt on the Hearts with a sharp 13-1 victory on Friday. Considering the Maroons have won nine contests by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Haley Helm made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Molly Kloeppel
| 04/18/25 @ Effingham | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Peoria | 1 |
| 03/31/25 vs Hoopeston | 1 |
| 04/06/24 vs Normal Community | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Molly Kloeppel, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Grace Bandy was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
Champaign Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 14 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Richwoods came up short against Dunlap on Saturday, falling 12-5.
Lydia Day was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season.
Champaign Central's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Richwoods, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-8.
Richwoods' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Champaign Central has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 13.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Richwoods, though, as they've been averaging 9.8 hits. Given Champaign Central's sizable advantage in that area, the Knights will need to find a way to close that gap.
Champaign Central took their win against Richwoods when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 19-3 score. Will the Maroons repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
